Green Bay finished January with back-to-back wins over Bloomington and Madison and sits just one spot out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings. In his last seven games, Gamblers captain Jared Spooner has led the way on the scoresheet with 11 points (4G, 7A) in that stretch. Connor Mackey continues to lead all USHL defenseman in scoring with 30 points (3G, 27A) in 38 games. He also has six assists in his last four games, including a four-helper performance on Jan. 27 against the Bloomington Thunder. The Gamblers will look to inch closer to playoff position in February, where they will play six of their nine contests at home and four contests against team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.

9. Lincoln Stars

20-13-3-1, Last Poll: 10

The Stars are now 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games and just two points out of the top-half of the ultra-competitive Western Conference standings. Josef Korenar remains one of the top goalies in the USHL, as he is second in the league in SV% (.933) and tied for fourth in GAA (2.06). Ethen Frank has also been on a two-month long tear. The Western Michigan commit finished January on a three-game point streak and has registered at least one point in all but one game dating back to Dec. 3. In that 12-game stretch, he has 15 points (9G, 6A). Sam Sternschein has also been red-hot in the last six weeks, tallying 14 points (11G, 3A) in 12 games dating back to Dec. 17. Lincoln will play seven of their 10 February games on the road, including a six-game road trip from Feb. 11 through Feb. 24 that could go a long way in ultimately deciding their playoff fate at season’s end.